Application Period Now Open for the 2015 Green Power Leadership Awards!

The annual Green Power Leadership Awards are competitive awards that recognize outstanding commitments and achievements in the green power marketplace. EPA's Partner Awards recognize leading Green Power Partners and Communities that have helped further the green power market through their green power purchase or use of on-site renewable energy applications, overall green power strategy, and impact on the green power market. EPA's Supplier Awards highlight the accomplishments of green power suppliers that are innovators and leaders in the voluntary renewable energy market. EPA co-sponsors the Green Power Leadership Awards with the Center for Resource Solutions. The awards will be presented in conjunction with the Renewable Energy Markets Conference (Fall 2015, date and location to be determined).

To apply for an award or to nominate an organization other than your own, please visit the Application Process web page. The application period closes on April 17, 2015.

The 2015 Green Power Leadership Awards application period is now open and will close on April 17. EPA co-sponsors the Awards in conjunction with the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS). The awards serve to recognize the leading actions of organizations, programs, suppliers, and individuals that significantly advance the development of green power sources.

In this webinar, EPA and CRS will provide information related to eligibility, evaluation criteria, and application content for each of the award categories, as well as answer questions.

Green Power Partners Commit to On-Site Renewables as Part of White House Challenge

As part of President Obama's Clean Power Plan, the White House, along with the support of several federal agencies, is calling on leaders across our economy to make tangible commitments that support the deployment and use of on-site renewable energy. In response, the Green Power Partnership has launched the On-Site Renewables Challenge. The Challenge's goal is to double Green Power Partners' on-site green power use by the end of the decade.

As a component of the On-site Renewables Challenge, EPA is highlighting Partners' increased commitments to deploy on-site renewable energy in support of the Challenge. As of January 2015, eight Green Power Partners – Apple, BD, Cisco, City of Beaverton (OR), Jackson Family Wines, Kaiser Permanente, USDA, and Wal-Mart – have made commitments to on-site green power.

Are you interested in receiving support and recognition from the White House? Is your organization ready to make a commitment to the future deployment and use of on-site renewable energy? If so, complete the On-site Renewables Commitment form (PDF)(2 pp, 152K) today!

Tweet this fact: As of Jan. '15, #EPAGreenPower Partners are using more than 1 billion kWh of onsite renewable energy. More: http://1.usa.gov/1teK5fQ

Reminder: Top Partner Rankings and College & University Challenge Data Deadlines—April 6, 2015

The Green Power Partnership will release updated Top Partner and College & University Challenge Rankings on April 26. If your organization's green power use has recently changed, please submit any updates to your account manager no later than COB Monday, April 6 in order for the updated data to be reflected in the Top Partner Rankings and College & University Challenge updates. If your organization's green power use has not changed, there is no need to submit an update. Review the most current Top Partner and College & University Challenge rankings.

Partner Spotlight: Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is the one of the world's most famous office buildings and an iconic New York City landmark. The building purchases renewable energy to meet all of its electricity use as part of the building's nearly completed, groundbreaking $20 million energy efficiency retrofit work that was announced by President Bill Clinton and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2009.

Q. Why did your organization decide to use green power? What do you see as the benefits of using green power and what role does it play in your company's broader business and environmental strategy?

A. Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) does what is in our commercial interests. All of our energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives are benchmarked against commercial terms and returns for us, and that is a critical aspect of our work in demonstrating the competitive advantages of the same.

Q. Is your organization currently striving to achieve a green power goal and is there a timeframe? What steps are being taken to reach it?

A. The Empire State Building is currently purchasing green power in the form of renewable energy certificates (RECs) for 100 percent of its electricity needs.

Q. Describe any innovative green power strategies your organization has implemented or is planning. Do you have any upcoming projects or strategies that relate to your company's green power usage?

A. ESRT is an industry leader in demonstrating the business case for a holistic and quantitative approach to energy optimization, efficiency, and sustainability. We demonstrate performance through rigorous measurement and verification against the projects we develop and implement. The whole building retrofit of the Empire State Building, which began in 2010 and reduces energy usage 38 percent with a 3 year payback, delivers $4.4 million in savings annually and provides a modern, cutting edge, advanced infrastructure to tenants.

Q. What are two or three lessons you've learned in making the switch to green power or in increasing your green power use?

Q. What advice would you give to other organizations interested in using green power, and is there anything you would do differently? What barriers did you encounter when switching to green power?

A. We researched our options in a deregulated market, and needed to be sure there was no "greenwashing" involved in our decision to purchase green power. Following this decision, the process becomes economically driven.

Green Power Partners Win 2015 Climate Leadership Awards

In late February, the 2015 Climate Leadership Conference brought together thought leaders from business, government, academia, and the non-profit community to share best practices for integrating greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and climate risk and resilience strategies into their organization's operations. The Conference, hosted in Arlington, Virginia, also featured the presentation of the EPA's fourth annual Climate Leadership Awards, which recognize organizations and individuals demonstrating that innovative actions to combat climate change are smart business decision. Of the 18 awardees this year, five are EPA Green Power Partners:

"I am proud to recognize our Climate Leadership Award winners for their actions to reduce the harmful carbon pollution that's fueling climate change," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "Our winners are demonstrating that a healthy environment and a strong economy go hand in hand. These organizations are providing the leadership, commitment, and solutions needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet head on the challenge of a changing climate."

Best Practices for Solar Power Claims

What type of renewable energy and environmental claims can you make regarding your on-site solar system? This question and more have recently been addressed in a webinar by the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), which included speakers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and OneEnergy Renewables. The webinar discussed how claims are highly dependent on who owns the renewable energy certificates (RECs) associated with the solar system's output, best practices in making claims, and specific examples of claims that can and cannot be made. A video of the webinar will be posted shortly at the CRS website as well as a new issue brief entitled Guidelines for Renewable Energy Claims.

GPP Staffing

The Green Power Partnership welcomes two new members to the team. Roger Fernandez has joined GPP staff from the EPA Natural Gas STAR program and Christopher Kent is on a six-month loan from EPA’s ENERGY STAR program.